Rebekah Landers

UMASS Senior Day

10/25/2011

This weekend of games had an exciting feel, but at the same time a bittersweet shadow surrounding them. Sunday was senior day. I know that most teams may think they have the best seniors - but I will be the first to tell you that UMass Women’s Soccer has easily the best senior class around. Each one of them brings a little something to the team whether it is on or off the field.

For example we have Captain Meg who is not only hilarious off the field, but is the strongest presence we have on the field. We can always rely on Meg to pull us out from a slump and take control of the game. Our other Captain Dee is our “go to” forward who we can always count on to come through big when we need her most. More soft spoken, Dee also has a great sense of humor and is incredibly sweet and easy to talk to. Next we have Julie, who leads our team in goals. Julie is the perfect big sister for the freshman and is always willing to help us and give us advice. She’s hilarious in her own “Julie way” - never taking herself too seriously. And then there’s Lindsey, who has also kept us laughing all season. She and Meg are the funniest pair I’ve ever met and their friendship is so amazingly strong. Lindsey is definitely one of our strongest and best defenders and I know that no one wants to go 1v1 against her. In addition there is Nat, one of the sweetest girls ever, but with a strike you would never expect. Nat always has a smile on her face, never quits and that can cheer up the entire team. Finally we have Erin, perhaps the funniest person I have ever met. There is never a boring moment when she is around, but she is such a strong player to boot.

As you can tell, we have a great group of leaders and role models. I think that all of us underclassmen recently realized how much we really love and look up to each one. For this reason, we wanted Senior Day to be extra special. We slaved over our posters maxing out the ink in our printers for pictures and covering ourselves with glitter. The freshman decided that we would also decorate the locker room. At 9pm on Saturday night, we all made our way to Boyden and stayed for hours until the locker room looked perfect. We filled the room with streamers and balloons and decorated the lockers filling them with candy. All our time paid off because I think the seniors really appreciated everything the team did.

Of course it was sad that it was the seniors’ last game on Rudd Field, but we plan on the season continuing for a few more weeks. Winning 1-0 was great and I think it will be a game we all remember. We have another weekend on the road coming up and we’ve put ourselves in a great position to earn a top seed (and a first round bye) for the A-10 Championships. This weekend is going to be tough and I have a feeling that the game against Richmond could be the decider of second and third place. Just like two weeks ago, we can’t overlook our Friday opponent, George Washington, but a win there and it;s another huge game on Sunday! A “must win” won’t be the worst thing for us, because it will be a good warm-up for a playoff game. A game that is loaded with pressure on both teams is played a lot different than others. We have had our share of defining moments this season and I think we are ready.

Illness is going around in full force at UMass lately and I’ve definitely caught something. You know its bad when your Grandma’s care package contains Halloween decorations, cookies and a giant bottle of cold medication. I’ve started to gradually lose my voice (hopefully it will be back for the Freshman Idol on the upcoming trip!) and when I attempted to get some participation points in class today, no sound escaped my mouth, indicating my voice had finally went. It was a little embarrassing and disappointing that I couldn’t share my deep and critical views on Thoreau.

The next two weeks should prove to be very hectic with traveling and games that will be our most important so far. Missing class will also prove to be a challenge, especially because midterms seem to be falling all around this time. It’s getting to the final stretch of our season and I foresee an exciting couple of weeks ahead of us, hopefully ending with an A-10 title and some upsets in the NCAAs!

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Super Sunday Showdown

10/20/2011

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It seemed that everything this last week was leading to a big Sunday showdown against La Salle. They have been in the spotlight all season. They entered our match undefeated, and our scouting report showed few faults in their game. No doubt that La Salle is the team to beat in the Atlantic 10. Anytime you play an undefeated team, you want to be the one that knocks them off their win-streak. Just the prospect of beating a top ranked team is exciting and this motivated everyone. I personally was nervous all week. Its games like the one against La Salle that you live for as a soccer player. Every play counts, every challenge is more critical, but every mistake gets punished. Unfortunately we didn’t end up on top - losing 3-2 in overtime. I don’t think we necessarily outplayed LaSalle, but we proved we could compete with them, and I really hope that we will get another shot at them in three weeks.

With a game as big as La Salle at the end of the weekend, it was hard to not overlook Friday’s match against Fordham. I’ll admit that with the number of games and practices that we have in a season; it’s challenging to get equally motivated for every competition. Not every game has a huge and vocal crowd, or the sparkle of being a breast cancer benefit, or the CBS-3 news crew to broadcast it live like the La Salle game. However, every point is just as important as another one and every win gets us that much closer to a date in Dayton and the A-10 Championships. So here is the message we heard all week, and took to heart: In order for the La Salle game to be “huge”, we first had to take care of Fordham and not take them lightly. To make it more interesting, Fordham was a very good team. They were fast and physical, and certainly the type of team that could come into our home stadium and cause us some trouble. However, we took an early lead, got up by two goals and pretty much cruised in for a win and three more points

With that win under our belts, we could then finally devote all of our attention to La Salle. Sunday had picture perfect weather and our fans were great. It was the first time all year that our student section was full and it made a big difference. I hope we get that type of support at our final two home games…especially the horns!!

It is, of course, disappointing to lose, especially at this point in our season. Overall, the La Salle game exposed some weaknesses, but at this point we can only accept the constructive criticism about our performances and use the feedback to improve. I still believe that every week our team gets better. We not only improve on the field, but we continue to become closer off the field and therefore all the more willing to do whatever it takes to help our teammates. It’s the willingness to sacrifice yourself for the team that makes a champion - and even in a loss I can tell that we are getting there!

We all may complain about being soar and exhausted. Welcome to the closing stretch of a college season. But there are things that can make the bumps, bruises, aches and strains a little easier to face. One is the motivation of playing for others, whether it’s a little girl fighting a battle with cancer or my new big sisters that face the ends of their college playing days. The other day in the locker room the seniors were talking about how crazy it is that we can count on one hand the number of regular season games that remain and that the amount of practices left are in single digits. This is when it really hit me that after the season the seniors will be done and a huge part of my new extended family will be gone. This is why we go out every game and play for our seniors. They don’t have the luxury of having three more years in Amherst to make something happen. Sometimes it’s pretty easy for we freshmen to think “I have a long career left” but we all know that these four years fly by way too fast. I learned this in high school. This year could be it, and this season’s opportunity to win a conference title acts to inspire everyone.

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Videos, Interviews and Some Soccer

10/11/2011

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This week was packed with a good balance between hard work and fun. With a tough weekend of road games ahead of us, we had to really buckle down and get something out of each practice in order to prepare properly. The dreaded fitness practice wasn't completely unbearable, compared to those in previous weeks, and Thursday was dedicated to travel and a walkthrough, so we had two real chances to get some soccer in – but we did. Additionally, missing school always builds anxiety and stress, but we got lucky this trip because the holiday grants us Monday off. That gives us all a much needed day to catch up on sleep, schoolwork and laundry!

I think what we did off the field this week was the most beneficial and important to all of us. We were told the story of 3-year old Malia Jusczyk who has been fighting neuroblastoma cancer since April. She is the daughter of a former teammate of and player for our coaches. She is currently undergoing stem cell transplant, so we decided to make a funny video (see below) to try to keep her upbeat and laughing. Her story really puts things in perspective and makes me realize how lucky I am to be healthy and able to play. Sometimes I think we forget that we play soccer because we love and enjoy it. It's a real privilege to get to play in college. We get to travel together and play at all these beautiful schools and represent our own university – and this year it is extra special because we also play for Malia.

We have some real comedians on the team so I knew a funny video wouldn't be too difficult for us. There were pies thrown in faces, balls bounced off of heads, pratfalls, uniquely choreographed dances and even Sam the Minuteman showed up! What we didn't realize, but soon learned, was how many talented dancers we have on the team. I think it's safe to say that a few of us will keep Malia laughing with our dancing alone, not to mention that any appearance of Sam is a welcomed treat. Good luck Malia and remember that the Minutewomen have your back!!!

Our long weekend kicked off early Thursday morning bus ride to Hartford and a quick flight to Charlotte. Having only been part of the A-10 conference for a few months, I don't yet share the same rivalry with and emotion for some of our opponents that my more experienced teammates do. Some of these teams have beaten UMass for years, and I think that a lot of people just assume some results are set. I know that this UMass team is not accepting of losing and our games thus far reflect this. Although I haven't felt the frustration of years of defeat, there is no denying how good the win against Charlotte felt. We still have weeks of hard work ahead of us, but after that game my faith in this team was once again reinforced. When we are focused, aggressive and playing well, I think we can compete with anyone.

Like I've said before, everything is better when you win. The victory against Charlotte increased our win streak to 6, and made the next day a lot more relaxed. Being trapped on a plane and in a hotel together after a loss would have been rough. This trip was 4 days long and filled to the brim with soccer and hard work. Still, we always find a way to have fun, whether it be a very competitive game of Taboo or some good fun at the expense of our teammates and coaches, unfortunately this time…I was a victim.

Sometime early in the afternoon, our coach told me (and my roommate Kristen) that we may get interviewed for the A-10. Both of us were secretly wondering, “something must be up, why would they ever want to interview us?” But we didn't want to mess up and were nervous that our performance wouldn’t be adequate. We even asked our much more experienced teammate Julie, who was also getting “interviewed”, for some pointers. We showed up dressed in our official UMass attire and sat up front of the “press” ready to go. As the interview proceeded, the questions began to shift from being soccer related to being completely off topic and bizarre. However, still eager to do a good job and represent UMass well, I continued to answer each question as though it would be made public. (I guess you could say it was, however on twitter and facebook rather than anything formally A-10 soccer related.) It turns out that the interviewer was a stranger found at the hotel lobby and the whole interview was a clever joke (and a tradition). This is probably for the best because our answers needed some work. Maybe Julie’s first act as President: to abolish the tanning tax and then travel the world with me (as her VP) on the taxpayers’ money (sorry America) wouldn’t be so great. However, it was wonderful that Kristen would heroically end all wars. – she would have made Miss Congeniality proud. A few very interesting and funny things came out of our mouths in this faux interview and I’m sure we have supplied the team with weeks of material to joke about.

Our last game against St. Louis ended in a tie, wrapping up the weekend with a 1-0-1 record. We came out flat and had to turn it on in the second half to even the match. We had plenty of chances to get the winner, but it just wasn’t to be. In reality, 4 points on a tough road trip is very good, and we did run our “unbeaten” streak to seven games, but I think we are all a bit disappointed to not close out the trip with another exciting OT win.

I write this week’s blog on the plane, flying home from the weekend, and cannot wait to be home. It's funny to me that I now call my dorm room in Emerson “home” and that I missed UMass while I was on the trip. Like I realized back in preseason, new surroundings become comfortable sooner than we can imagine. I can't believe that it was 2 months ago that I arrived in Amherst for preseason. It’s remarkable that I didn’t know most of the girls that sit around me now on this plane. It seems like a lifetime ago and they have become great friends. I of course miss my family and friends back at my “Danvers home” (especially my brother… HI DAN) but the team has definitely become a surrogate family. They have made the transition into college pretty effortless and very entertaining.

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Life Keeps Rolling Along

10/4/2011

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This week has been filled with rainy days, long nights studying and two more wins. The persistent rain is making us all a little crazy. It’s harder to get up for class when you have to walk across campus with water logged boots and difficult to get excited for practice when the Boyden fields are close to becoming marshes. We have had to cut a few practices short due to thunderstorms and torrential rain. This may sound pleasant enough, having shorter practices, but in reality these shorter practices have meant a day of lifting. Personally, I think I would rather get struck by lightening than be in the weight room struggling through another “Hoffman circuit.”

To give you a rough estimate on my lifting abilities, although I have drastically improved since being here, adding any weight to the bar presents a considerable challenge for me. The 45-pound bar is more than sufficient. Whenever I hear our trainer say to add chains to the bar while squatting or to add two more 10 pounders to the bar while benching, my head starts spinning a little bit. My lifting partner Courtney has to be on constant alert when spotting me, we’ve had a few close calls. But my guns are certainly getting larger!

In regards to school, I’ve always been a huge procrastinator, believing that I do my best work when pressed for time. However, this past week I learned (the hard way) that maybe writing papers and studying for exams should be started earlier than the night before. This realization would have saved me two all nighters and some cash spent on coffee. Having my first college exam in the same week as having my first 2 college papers due was a tad overwhelming. Thankfully, I think I aced all three, but I was forced to sacrifice a lot of much needed sleep to accomplish it.

Only adding to the struggles of sleep deprivation is my on-going battle with sinus disease and a healing broken nose. For this reason, I have become a little dependant on my cold and sinus meds. Unfortunately on one of these lethargic mornings, I mistakenly swapped the non-drowsy daytime with the “sleep-it-off” nighttime pills. As 9:30 rolled around, and I was otherwise sitting attentively in class, I suddenly started to feel my eyelids drooping. It was like I was being hypnotized! Via a Herculean effort, I miraculously made it through my only class of that morning, but proceeded to return to the dorm and literally pass out for the next 4 hours. Luckily I arose in time for 3:00 practice. As a mandatory precaution, I now keep the two boxes clearly marked and separated so I do not make that mistake again.

In soccer news, the Minutewomen have continued our win streak. Our A-10 home opener was last weekend and we came out with a 2-0 victory over URI. Although not our best performance, at this point in our season it’s all about getting those points and making it to the A-10 championships! My club coach always said that one sign of a good team is being able to play a little poorly but still finding ways to win – that is what happened against URI. In comparison, the Dartmouth game was a different type of victory. We played very well in the first half, especially the quick goal scored in the first minute of play. However, then we let our performance drop down, struggling with managing the lead. I believe that Dartmouth had close to 12 corners in the second half alone. It’s a good sign that we didn’t concede a goal in the last 89:40, but giving up that many opportunities late in the game is unsettling.

This weekend is our first extended travel of the season. First we fly to Charlotte and then to St. Louis (We will be earning some sky-miles this road-trip!). I’ve traveled a lot for soccer, and done a good deal of it on my own. So I am familiar with airport check-ins, security and food. However, in club you would travel to one city for a 3-4 day tournament. Flying twice for just 2 games, in a matter of only a few days, will be a new experience for me and for most of the other freshmen. Still, I’m excited to get off campus and experience the travel. This also means it’s only a 3-day week of classes, making it all the easier to get through the week. I’ve been told there is quite a lot of down time on the trips, giving us plenty of time to get some studying in. I’ve already started my next essay that is due next week, learning from my last blunder, so the added study opportunity will be welcome. If we can come out of this weekend with 6 more points, we will be that much closer to a chance at an A-10 championship! That is the goal, take it one game at a time and get back to the top of the A-10.

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UMASS Senior Day

Super Sunday Showdown

Videos, Interviews and Some Soccer

Life Keeps Rolling Along

Becky Landers

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